SA industry and government to meet for steel's sake

The ASI is urging all South Australian members to attend the special Steel Summit being organised by the office of the State’s Treasurer, Tom Koutsantonis at Adelaide Convention Centre on Tuesday, 16 February.

The South Australian State Government has established the new Steel Taskforce that is working with the Industry Participation Advocate to design initiatives that ensure steelmakers and fabricators can compete fairly for local contracts against low quality imports.

The summit has been convened to bring together participants from all facets of the Australian steel supply chain to explain the aims of the States’ recently created Steel Certification Policy. Representatives from construction and building companies, industry groups, contractors, architects, steelmakers and fabricators are all welcome to attend.

The meeting replaces a more general Industry Participation Forum planned for earlier in the month with the more targeted event driven by the State’s recognition of the steel industry’s substantial contribution to the local economy and the growing threat of non-compliant steelwork as global supply chains exert greater risk to development projects in the State.

“Anyone with a stake in the South Australian steel industry should attend this rare chance to contribute to the conversation about attracting fairer opportunities for our steel,” said ASI Chief Executive, Tony Dixon. He will be attending for the national steel sector along with Local Member for Giles, Eddie Hughes representing the steelmaking community of Whyalla.

The summit will include discussions on establishing a third-party audit process to ensure contractors adhere to the new steelwork compliance scheme as well as providing information on State Government assistance now available for local steel fabricators to become certified.

In response to growing evidence of unfair trade practices and inferior imports, in late 2015 the State Government announced a new steel policy that mandates all State Government construction builds to use steel only from Australian-standard certified fabricators and mills.